Car Transport Carrier
One important decision that must be made when you are planning to ship your car rather than drive it is what type of car transport carrier you should use. There are two basic types.
There are two basic types of car transport carrier. One is the standard open car carrier that most people are familiar with from passing them on the highway. They are open at the top and the sides and carry multiple cars. These carriers were first developed to transport new vehicles from the manufacturing facilities to the auto dealerships. They are still used for this purpose today, but have also been widely used by car transport companies for transporting private vehicles.
Although they are open, this does not necessarily mean they are unsafe for transport. After all, automobiles do not travel down the highway in enclosed force fields. The open car carrier does not expose the vehicle to any more hazard than would be encountered on a regular drive. The reason they are open is most weight considerations. The carrier trailers were designed to be as light as possible to enable them to carry more vehicles.
Some very innovative methods were developed to secure the vehicles inside the carriers. These use chocks and pins on the internal railings of the carrier that distribute the weight of the vehicle equally and make strapping unnecessary. The impression a person gets when seeing one of these open car transport carriers on the highway is that the cars are going to roll off any minute. This false impression is from the lack of tie down straps, but in reality the cars are extremely secure and less likely to be scratched using this method.
The second type of car transport carrier is the enclosed carrier. It is designed to carry fewer vehicles, mostly because of weight restrictions. Although most car carrier companies offer enclosed carriers for an addition cost, they are mostly used for special transports involving antique cars, very rare and expensive vehicles, or show vehicles. Certain types of very low vehicles, such as sports cars, are transported in enclosed carriers because of problems fitting into the standard carriers.
Some companies specialize in enclosed car carrier service and the majority offer both types of carriers. The normal cost of an enclosed carrier can range from $200 to $500 additional depending on the miles transported. The decision rests with the vehicle owner, of course, but the safety record of open carriers has been very good. When you remember that new cars have been routinely shipped in them to dealers for decades, you should feel a bit safer when selecting them for you shipment.